Apparatus for determining alignment of locomotive smokestack and exhaust pipe



I J. UHRIN 2 APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING ALIGNMENT OF LOCOMOTIVE.SMOKESTACK AND EXHAUST PIPE Filed June 28., 1938 'mvENToR (JOHN U mamPatented June 25, 1940 APPARATUS MENT OF AND EXHAUST PIPE FORDETERMINING ALIGN- LOCOMOTIVE SMOKESTACK John Uhrin, Philadelphia, Pa.Application June 28, 1938, Serial No. 216,315 2 Claims. (01. 33-180)This invention relates generally to an improved apparatus and method fordetermining the exact alignment of a locomotive Smokestack with anexhaust pipe.

. The usual practice of locomotive builders in aligning the smokestackand exhaust pipe has been to support the boiler in a level position andemploy a plumbob for determining the necessary vertical alignmentbetween the smokestack and pipe. This procedure required the use of acrane to assist in levelling the boiler as well as requiring theservices of several men.

t is an object of my invention to provide an improved method andapparatus whereby a smokestack and exhaust pipe may be efiectivelybrought into alignment with each other regardless of the position orlocation of the boiler.

Other objects and advantages will be more apparent to those skilled inthe art from the following description of the accompanying drawing inwhich:

Fig.1 is a transverse section through a smokestack and exhaust pipe withthe boiler partially shown;

Fig. 2 is a plan view Fig. 1.

In the particular embodiment of the invention, such as is disclosedherein merely for the purpose of illustrating one specific form amongpossible others that the invention might take in practice, I havediagrammatically shown the invention as applied to a boiler l having asmokestack 2 with its usual component parts 3 and 4. A conventionalexhaust pipe 5 connected to the engine cylinders is supported upon theupper end of a usual exhaust passage structure 6 extending upwardly intoa customary cylinder saddle not shown.

It is of the utmost importance that the exhaust pipe 5 and Smokestack 2be in axial alignment with each other, and to that end I have provided atemplate 8 of any suitable shape but having particularly a centeringtongue or projection 9 of the same diameter as the upper end of exhaustpipe 5. Twosupporting ledges l8 lie in the same plane with each otherand normally rest on the upper end of exhaust pipe 5 while a line,scribed or formed by any suitable indentations in the form of centerpunch marks ll, extend in a plane at right angles to the plane ofshoulders iii. A small hole i2 is formed to the lower portion oftemplate 3 and an indicating element such as a string or a fine linenthread [3 is secured to said hole l2 and extends upwardly to be tied to,or extend through an opening in, a rod or piece of wood it which restsupon the upper end of Smokestack 2.

taken on the line 2-2 of In operation, the rod M is suitably positionedon the upper end of Smokestack 2 so that string It lies in the center ofthe stack. This can be readily accomplished merely by measuring thedistance of the string from two sides of the smokestack at 90 apart. Theoperator next places and manually holds the template 8 firmly on top ofexhaust pipe 5 in the position as shown and observes whether the tautlydrawn string l3 falls in alignment, with the line formed by the seriesof center punch marks H. The operator then rotates the template 8through 90 and again observes whether the string I3 is in alignment withthe line. If such alignment is obtained through the two vertical planesat 90 to each other, then the stack and exhaust pipe are in alignmentwith each other. If the string and line i l are not in alignment witheach other, the stack 5 can be shifted either sidewise or forwardly orbackwardly depending upon the direction that is necessary to bring thestring and line in alignment.

As a result of my foregoing improved method and apparatus, it is seenthat the exhaust pipe and Smokestack can be readily aligned with minimumeffort and time and regardless of whether the boiler is level or lyingon its side or in any other irregular position.

It will of course be understood that various changes in details ofconstruction and arrangement of parts may be made by those skilled inthe art without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forthin the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for determining the alignment of a locomotive exhaust pipeand Smokestack comprising, in combination, a template having means forsupporting and centering the same upon the upper end of an exhaust pipe,a line located on said template so as to be coaxial of said exhaust pipewhen placed thereon, an indicating element secured to the lower portionof said template at a point which is in alignment with said line, andmeans for supporting the upper end of said element in the center of theSmokestack, whereby when said exhaust pipe and smokestack are inalignment with each other said indicating element is in alignment withthe entire length of the line on said template.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 further characterized in thatsaid template comprises a flat sheet metal member having supportingshoulders and a center tongue adapted to project into the exhaust pipe.

JOHN 'UI-IRIN.

